


The Bitterness at the Bottom of the Pie

by I_can_only_imagine



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Superboy (Comics), Superman (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Multi, NO CAPES, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Single Dad Clark Kent, Suburban Neighborhood AU, WIP, rated for language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26692900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_can_only_imagine/pseuds/I_can_only_imagine
Summary: Clark Kent had rotten luck in life, but still remained the kind, compassionate man he had always been just to spite it. With a disaster falling upon his family a year before, his ex trying to fight for custody over their son, and an ongoing court case where he was the evidence, life was showing to be a little more difficult than he had hopped for that year,His life was sent into a further tailspin when his first love and high school sweetheart who carried the event Clark more regretted in his life moved into his neighborhood, fresh out of a divorce with a horde of kids in tow. The cherry on top? Their sons had been dating for a little over a year, and neither had ever connected the dots.
Relationships: Clark Kent & Kon-El | Conner Kent, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent, batfam - Relationship, superfam - Relationship
Comments: 5
Kudos: 75





	The Bitterness at the Bottom of the Pie

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work in progress and I don't know how frequently it will be updated but it will be! I've been working on this along with other projects for a few months now. Once JayKyle Week and Dead Robins Week are finished this will be updated more frequently.

Clark Kent spent that morning the same as he did every other morning or the past year. He had slept thirty minutes past his alarm when his oldest son woke him up by cursing loudly, and falling out of his bed with a thud. Clark flew out of bed and ran from his room to his youngest son’s, his dog following close on his heels.

“Jon get up,” he said after he threw the door open. Jon shot up in bed, looking like a young replica of what Clark was sure he looked like in the moment. Wild black hair, squinting eyes and clear panic at his words.

“You said you would set an alarm!” Conner yelled as he ran behind Clark to the bathroom.

“I did set an alarm!” Clark yelled back over his shoulder.

“Of course you did, but you slept through it! Shit Dad, I can’t be late to school! Lex is coming to the barbeque today and if I go to school looking like this-”

“First of all, language, second of all, you better not call him Lex when he gets there. You know how much he hates it when you call him that.”

“It’s his name!”

“He’s your father!”

“He’s an asshat!”

“Language!” this time it was shouted by Jon and Clark at the same time. God have mercy on his soul, Jon didn’t have a mouth like Conner’s.

“We don’t have time for this argument right now,” Clark shook his head and started his rush around Jon’s room for his outfit.

“Daddy, do you think Mr. Gardner is going to be teaching my class again?” Jon asked as he hopped off his bed to collect the clothes Clark left out for him.

“I don’t know Jon, Mr. Gardner is the counselor and he was subbing for your class,” Clark said, packing his backpack. “Unless they didn’t find a sub or your teacher didn’t come back, then he should be there.”

“I like Mr. Gardener a lot more than my teacher,” the five year old pouted. “He talks to me about Mommy and doesn’t make fun of me when I cry.”

Clark froze for just a second at that, but quickly got back to packing the bag, “Mr. Gardner is a very nice man.”

“That’s not what Kyle says,” Conner said, poking his head in. “He said he’s a stinky old bastard who has no manners. His mom kinda hates him.”

“Kyle is also Mr. Gardner’s friend’s nephew,” Clark said.

“You’re going to be late for the bus.”

“No we are not,” Clark said. Just as he did, he picked up his now fully clothed son and rushed out to the front door. They got to the bus stop just in time for the bus to pull up to the curb. Clark sat his son down and slipped his backpack on him, saying he should still have a poptart still in there if he doesn’t like the breakfast they’re serving at the school.

Once Jon was off to school, Clark went back to the house and realized in horror that he had run out in nothing but his pajama pants without his glasses on.

Five minutes later Conner was ready and they were out the door to the car. Conner had probably missed homeroom, and Clark could just imagine the call he would be getting from Lex later that day about being more responsible just like he did every other day Conner didn’t get to homeroom on time. He knew he was going to need an aspirin to make it through the day already.

“Shit!” Conner’s hissed curse interrupted the quiet drive.

“Language.”

“Just give it a rest.”

Clark sighed before filing away the argument for a better time when he was more awake, “What is it this time?”

“Lex just texted saying he’s going to be staying in town so he can meet my boyfriend this weekend,” Conner explained and when Clark glanced over his face was contorted in a mixture of horror and annoyance that only a teenager could truly pull off.

“Don’t call him Lex. I didn’t know your boyfriend was coming into town,” Clark said. He distantly remembered Conner saying something about his boyfriend the night before at dinner, but it had mostly been about Conner freaking out about how late he had stayed up. It had been about a year since Conner’s boyfriend’s last visit when they had actually gotten together, and Clark still had yet to see the young man’s face. Clark wasn’t even sure if he remembered his name, so caught up in taking care of the boys alone for the past year that he hadn’t really had time to ask after Conner’s love life.

“Why shouldn’t I call him Lex? And yeah, his family is moving to Mapleville so they can be with his older brother,” Conner said.

“His older brother?” Clark asked, not bothering to dignify the first question with a response.

“Yeah, Mr. Grayson-West up the street.”

“I didn’t realize Wally had family outside Delaware.”

“He doesn’t,” Conner said, and Clark didn’t have to look at him to know he had rolled his eyes. “He’s Dick’s younger brother.”

“That makes more sense,” Clark said. Of course it made more sense. Wally’s family all lived in the neighborhood besides his biological parents. Dick on the other hand had recounted to Clark many times at the gym that he had a ridiculously large family.

“Dick apparently convinced them to move here from Jersey,” Conner said with a snort. “You’d think Dick was sentencing them to death from the way Tim talks about the move.”

“Tim?”

“My boyfriend?”

“Right,” Clark sighed.

“Anyways, they grew up in the gloom central that is Gotham City, and you know how snobby Lex-” Conner cut himself off and huffed before starting again, “You know how snobby  _ Dad _ gets about people from Gotham. What’s his problem with Gotham anyways?”

“It’s a long story,” Clark sighed.

“Oh. My. God,” Conner said, finally causing Clark to take his eyes off the road just for a second to look at his son. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. “It’s your fault he hates Gotham!”

“Like I said, it’s a long story Con,” Clark looked back to the road.

“Well at least tell me the beginning!”

“Your dad and I used to know someone from Gotham,” Clark caved. “Please don’t ask your dad about it.”

“Okay,” Conner sighed, resigning himself to not getting any further answers that moment as the pulled up to the school.

“Conner,” Clark turned to him, settling him with a serious look. “I mean it, don’t bring it up with your dad. It’s a sore subject.”

“For him or for you?” Conner asked, before sighing again. If Clark had a dime for every time Conner sighed on a daily basis he was sure he wouldn’t need child support or alimony from Lex anymore. “Fine, I get it. I won’t bring it up with Dad.”

“Thank you,” Clark said. “Try to have a good day at the barbeque, okay? Your dad isn’t always that bad.”

“You only ever say that because you used to love him,” Conner said.

Clark very carefully considered his next words, then decided Conner was old enough to hear it, “I didn’t.”

“What?” Conner froze half way out of the car.

“Your dad,” Clark elaborated. “I didn’t love him. I loved you.”

“I...” Conner looked like he wanted to say a million things, but his mouth couldn’t catch up with his brain. Clark just offered him a soft smile.

“Have a good day at school,” he said. Conner slowly closed the door, and walked ot the administrative office like a zombie. Clark briefly wondered if it was right to tell Con the truth. It wasn’t anything Lois hadn’t told him before, but he was sure it had to be different hearing it from Clark himself.

He didn’t have time to think too hard on it though, when his phone rang. Clark answered it from the radio screen and pulled out of the school. He was completely unsurprised when Lex’s voice came through the car speakers.

He waited to speak until Lex was done with his five minute rant on responsibility and how Conner will never know responsibility if Clark doesn’t show him what it looks like. He waited until the lecturing had stopped, and the car fell silent again with only the sound of Lex’s breathing on the other end.

“Are you done?” Clark asked. Usually Lex’s rants were much longer than five minutes.

“Yes,” Lex said, though he sounded very irritated still.

“I slept through my alarm,” Clark admitted. There was no point in coming up with an excuse. His ma and pa had taught him to take responsibility for his own mistakes. But- “Homeroom is not a graded class and it is the shortest class there is. He got to the school before the first block. That’s all that matters.”

“What matters is-”

“Responsibility, I know,” Clark cut him off. “I think if you took up a bit more responsibility as a parent and saw your son more than three times a year, you would know that he is plenty responsible and doesn’t need me to show him how. While you were busy doing lord knows what, Lois and I were making sure he knew how to take care of himself since it was clear you weren’t going to help.”

Lex went quiet after that, and Clark was too tired to feel guilty for a burst of pride he received from silencing him. He realized he had probably sounded just like Lois when she would take the phone from Clark to chew Lex out when Lex mumbled “damn woman” and hung up without another word.

When he pulled back into the cul de sac he saw none other than Richard Grayson-West leaning against his door. Dick looked up and grinned when he saw the car pull into the driveway, and Clark had a sinking suspicion he wasn’t going to get in that nap he had been hoping for.

“Hey Clark,” Dick greeted when Clark got out of the car. “Dropping Conner off at school?”

“Yeah, he has his school barbeque today,” Clark said. “What brings you to our home?”

“I was just wondering if you would be interested in coming to the cook out I’m having tomorrow to welcome my family to the neighborhood,” Dick said. “I’m sure Conner already told you about them.”

“A little bit on the way to school,” Clark nodded. “I never knew you were from Gotham.”

“Funny, I once mistook you for a fellow Gothamite,” Dick said. “Black hair, blue eyes, you and the boys would fit in perfectly up there.”

“I’ve heard that one before,” Clark laughed. “When I moved to Metropolis I had the nickname ‘Gotham’ for a week until I explained that I was raised the farthest from Gotham you can get.”

“What’s wrong with being from Gotham?” Dick asked with mock offense before smiling again. “So what do you say? Saturday at noon, my house, you don’t even have to bring anything.”

“My ma would fly down here and give me a stern talking to if I didn’t bring you at least one famous Kent pie,” Clark said. “We’ll be there. I’m sure Con will be excited to see Tim.”

“See you tomorrow then Clark,” Dick said, patting his shoulder as he walked by.

At least Clark knew what he was going to be doing for the rest of the day. It had been too long since he made his family’s recipe from scratch.

Conner as usual got home two hours earlier than Jon. When he walked through the door, he looked absolutely exhausted, and Clark dropped everything he was doing to sit with him at the kitchen island.

“He was on the phone for most of the barbeque,” Con mumbled, staring down at the island. “Mr. and Mr. Allen-Queen and Mrs. and Mrs. Smoke-West and Bart saw me sitting alone and came to sit with me, and Diana and Cassie joined us too. It was a lot of fun.”

“But,” Clark prompted, rubbing his back in gentle circles.

“But  _ Dad _ got back from his phone call, and he wasn’t even hiding it when he insulted the other parents for Bart, Cassie and I acting rowdy. When he found out Mr. Oliver had been married three times when Connor and Mia came over to the table, he started to get really rude. Mr. Berry and Mrs. Felicity got really upset and both had to leave the table to calm down together. Bart texted me after the barbeque to tell me they were okay, but I think he only said that to make me feel better.”

“You know Oliver doesn’t care what other people think,” Clark said.

“I know, but I also know Mr. Berry and Mrs. Felicity don’t like people being rude to him like that,” Conner said. “And just… I can’t believe he would say that stuff in front of three of Mr. Oliver’s kids and his ex wife. It was wrong.”

“And I am so proud of you for recognizing that it was wrong and wanting to help them,” Clark said. “But you need to remember that you are in no way responsible for your father’s actions.”

“I know,” Conner sighed. “I guess i just miss the days when Mom would sit there and tell him to shut up when he pulled that shit.”

Before Clark could open his mouth, Con said, “I know I know, Language.”

“That’s not what I was going to say,” Clark said, giving his arm a squeeze. “I was going to say, I miss those days too. If you want, I can start going to the barbeques and school events to keep him in check.”

“You? Keeping Dad in check?” Conner raised an eyebrow.

“Believe it or not, I was able to get him in check this morning on the phone,” Clark said. When Conner gave him a further disbelieving look, Clark laughed, “I did. Turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks. Or at least reteach them old tricks.”

“I would appreciate that,” Conner said, accepting Clark’s earlier offer.

Clark smiled and kissed his head when he stood, making his way back over to where he had been working on the second pie filling.

“So why are you making pie?” Conner asked, usual energy returned to his voice. Clark couldn’t help but let his smile grow even wider. Lois and the rest of their family had always loved his home made pies, but it was Con who absolutely worshiped them. Even after sixteen years of eating them, Con could never seem to get enough.

“Dick invited us to his neighborhood cookout to welcome his family to Mapleville,” Clark said, mixing in the last of the ingredients for the filling. “I figured if I’m going to be meeting possible future in-laws, I should show them my best. And your best.”

“Wait do you mean…” Con’s sentence trailed off as his face broke out into one of the most blinding grins he had ever seen.

“When Jon gets home we will be driving up to the grocery store and you will be picking out ingredients for the third pie,” Clark said. “Then, when we get home, I’m teaching you how to make a signature Kent Pie.”

Conner stumbled through words of excitement spoken at a pitch and speed Clark didn’t realize his son could reach. Right away Con was brainstorming for his pie, and flipping between over the moon excitement and moments of worry that he would mess it up.

The first two pies were out of the oven and in the fridge by the time they drove down to Jon’s bus stop. Together the three of them drove to the grocery store and helped Con to pick out all of the ingredients for the cherry pie he wanted to make.

By the time they got home and both of the kids’ had finished their homework, it was already dark outside. While Con got all the ingredients ready, Clark carried Jon to his room and read him his bedtime story before tucking him in. He kissed his head and gave Krypto a few pets, before walking back to the kitchen to teach Con.

When he got back to the kitchen, he found Con frozen in front of the fridge with the door open. Clark didn’t have to look to know what Con was looking at.

The blueberry, black berry and huckleberry pie. A signature Kent recipe they called the Nightberry pie after the story of the Nightwing that Ma used to tell Clark growing up.

Clark went to his son’s side and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He could tell Con was holding back so much. Anger, sadness, and a lingering desperate hope that had almost been crushed after their impossible year. He didn’t take his eyes away from the pie, but he did put his hand over Clark’s.

When Clark felt how bad the hand on his shook, he pulled his son away from the fridge and into a hug.

They didn’t say anything.

Half an hour had passed by the time they finally pulled apart and shared a smile, albeit a weak one, and got ready to make Con’s first pie.

The process was messy, and took hours to complete, but Con looked so proud of himself by the end when they put it in the oven that Clark didn’t mind the extra clean up and having to stay up a little later than usual.

By the time he went to bed and was able to settle down from the busy day, he didn’t even have time to let his mind wander to its usual places. The moment his head hit the pillow, he was out.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi over on my Tumblr @what-if-i-imagine! I am always open for asks, requests and prompts!  
> Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe if you liked this and want to see more!


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